


some people fall in love with the wrong people sometimes

by EllieLovesYou



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - The Blossoms and The Coopers Are Not Related, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Archie/Val is background, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Kinda, i dont know, i dont know what this is, kind of, like really, totally au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:27:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23338366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllieLovesYou/pseuds/EllieLovesYou
Summary: She loves her wife, she adores their life and their dog and at night sometimes, when her chest tightens and she feels like her world is caving in, she knows that she can reach behind her, find her wife’s hand and hold it till she can breathe again. She knows she’s not alone.Betty Cooper is convinced that it will not get better than what she has. She has wholly convinced herself that she doesn’t really need better.But then Veronica Lodge breezes into town and her whole life is tilted on its ass.
Relationships: Archie Andrews/Valerie Brown, Betty Cooper & Jughead Jones friendship - Relationship, Betty Cooper/Veronica Lodge, Cheryl Blossom/Betty Cooper, Cheryl Blossom/Toni Topaz
Comments: 10
Kudos: 49





	some people fall in love with the wrong people sometimes

**Author's Note:**

> OKAY! so this was probably started like season one-ish?? like before we even knew who killed Jason, long ago like A LONG TIME AGO and i tried to pick writing back up so i chose this! it might be a little rough, I apologize for that--like 3 different versions of me worked on this and the last one said fuck it, this is it!
> 
> also this totally started as just a beronica fanfic, plain and simple but turned into something else??? I dont know but, really, let me know what you think! it's been awhile!
> 
> now on to the story!
> 
> (also I would listen to moral of the story by ashe because like that song actually kicked my ass into gear when i first heard it because i was like o m g, it's basically what ive been writing, okay, sorry, hope you like it! <3)

Betty, truly and wholly, believes that her life is _good_.

Not perfect, not awful but good; something she can handle, something she can look at and not be ashamed of, like so many people told her she would be one day. Like most of her family told her.

Her mother, of course, believes Betty has an awful life and is trapped in a manipulative marriage with satan herself, her father doesn’t care all that much being anyone can find him at the bottom of a bottle most days and her sister, her dear sweet Polly, is so out of touch with reality that she probably believes that Betty is still her dorky sister with a crush on Archie Andrews.

(when she tells Kevin that, all she gets in response is a snort and the mumblings of ‘wrong redhead’)

But it’s not awful. Not by a long shot--there’s not drunken fights, slamming doors, conditional love. It’s _good_ , it's bearable, it’s so much better than what she grew up with.

(granted: what Betty was born into and grew up with probably left her with something akin to low standards)

She loves her wife, she adores their life and their dog and at night sometimes, when her chest tightens and she feels like her world is caving in, she knows that she can reach behind her, find her wife’s hand and hold it till she can breathe again. She knows she’s not alone.

Betty Cooper is convinced that it will not get better than what she has. She has wholly convinced herself that she doesn’t really _need_ better.

But then Veronica Lodge breezes into town and her whole life is tilted on its ass.

-

“Betts” Kevin rushes over to her, a smile firmly planted on his face and it’s not his genuinely happy smile, no it’s his ‘i have gossip’ smile and it makes Betty frown a bit before he can even tell her what’s going on because Betty is a lot of things but a gossip isn’t really one of them 

“We have finally been blessed with new” he claps his hands together and looks just so happy that Betty almost smiles. 

_Almost_.

Her frown remains in place as she looks around the school where she and Kevin once attended and now teach at “what?”

“New, Betty. Something to finally shake up this sleepy little town!” he grabs her elbow and tugs her away from her classroom door where kids are slowly trickling in with sleep still heavy on their eyes.

“Kev, I--”

“Calm down, Betty. They’re teenagers, I think they know not to burn the building down” he leads her (read: drags her) to the end of the hallway and peeks around the corner “Look” he pushes her a little to force her to look and-- _oh_. 

That’s what he’s talking about.

Her eyes stick to what looks like the newest teacher at Riverdale High--and _wow_. She’s shorter than Betty by a few inches, darker than her, her hair is raven black, and her clothes look like they might cost more than Betty’s whole wardrobe put together--overall she looks completely out of place in a place like Riverdale High.

She exudes elegance and confidence.; completely unapproachable, at least to someone like Betty, who people still call the girl next door, who still, sometimes, gets walked all over.

And then---then she _smiles_ at something Weatherbee says and it just takes over her whole face, her eyes soften, her smile seems genuine and warm and her laugh can be heard from down the hall and it’s bell light and it makes Betty’s stomach completely flip. 

She rips her eyes away from the woman to look at Kevin “That’s--that’s Sandy’s replacement?”

Kevin nods, eagerly “Veronica Lodge--from New York and is taking over Sandy’s classes since she decided to follow that stubby little husband of hers to Kansas” he sighs, wistfully “Hopefully she’s not a bitch like Sandy”

_‘Veronica’_ , Betty thinks _‘Suits her_.’

Betty shakes her head “Sandy was not that bad” she reprimands on autopilot.

Kevin just gives a huff and a frown and looks back over at Veronica and Betty can’t help but follow his eyes and--Jesus Christ, she gets prettier the more you stare. The way some of her hair falls in her face from her ponytail that might look messy on some, looks absolute purposeful on her, the way---Betty shakes her head and firmly looks away before her thoughts wander a little too far.

“I--I have to go. My kids are worse that Archie and Jughead and actually have Jughead as a teacher too” she forces a smile before going over to her classroom and standing by the door again--’I’m married’ she says to herself, banishing the thoughts of Veronica Lodge and her eyes ‘to a wonderful woman who loves me and who I love and--’ 

Then a voice, a voice she buries _daily_ , interrupts her thoughts ‘a wonderful woman who has been spending a lot less time at home’. 

Betty shakes her head--irrational thoughts are not to be voiced and are not to be given attention. At least that’s her mantra as of the last few months. It’s what kept her life together. 

She presses her back against the door as more students file into class, some occasionally tossing a ‘morning, miss cooper’ at her and most just barely functioning being it's still too early for them. Her eyes slip shut as she lets out a heavy sigh slip from her mouth, her thoughts from earlier just barely covered--Cheryl wouldn’t cheat on her, she knows that. 

(or, at least, that’s what she really, really, needs to believe)

“Ms. Cooper” she blinks at her name to see her boss looking at her expectantly--how long has Principal Weatherbee been standing there?

She straightens her back and puts on her best smile “Yes?”

“This is Ms. Lodge. The new English teacher” he gestures to the woman standing beside her and Betty nods, smiles a little less forced and sticks her hand out all while trying to calm her steadily increasing heartbeat. 

“Elizabeth Cooper, or Betty as literally everyone calls me, nice to meet you”

The woman grins “Veronica Lodge” the new teacher shakes her hand back and Betty internally sighs because wow this woman’s hand is soft “Likewise”

They break apart and Weatherbee continues to speak “I was wondering, since Mr. Jones is your co-teacher, if you could take this morning to show Ms. Lodge around, like the old days”

Betty smiles “Of course” she’s never been one to say no, especially to an authority figure and Weatherbee has been an authority figure all her life going from Principal to boss “It would be a pleasure”

“Perfect” he turns to Veronica “If you need anything else, please don’t hesitate to pop into my office”

“Thank you” Veronica’s smile is tight at Weatherbee but when she turns to Betty, it’s warm and welcoming and it makes Betty feel like she’s in high school again. Fuck that smile, Betty decides in her head, really, very much--fuck that.

Weatherbee gives a curt nod to Betty and then walks away leaving the two women alone “So--”

“Right” Betty releases a short puff of air “Just give me one sec? I have to tell my co-teacher that it’ll be just him for a little bit”

“Of course” 

The blonde spins around and rushes into her classroom, she goes over to Jughead’s desk and leans down and keeps her voice lowered “Hey, it’s just you today so no murder talk and no novel talk--it’s journalism, not ‘Riverdale’s dark past’ history class”

Jughead sighs, just barely containing an eyeroll “I guess” he looks over at Veronica who stays by the door “Who’s that?” his attention is taken and Betty sighs, even her ace best friend is taken with this woman. 

“New teacher. I’m showing her around”

He gives the other woman a once over before leaning back into her chair and looking to Betty “Remember you’re married, Cooper” it’s a joke--probably, it’s hard to tell with Jughead sometimes and his dry sense of humor even after all these years.

Betty decides it’s a joke and puts on a face akin to offended “I’m very aware of that, Juggie” 

He shrugs and goes back to his breakfast burger “With the way she’s checking you out, I don’t think she knows that yet”

So not a joke-- _noted_.

Her cheeks go pink and she sucks in a deep breath “Just--just teach, okay? I left their morning worksheet on my desk and if they finish just let them work on their projects” she straightens her back, spins on her hell and goes back to Veronica “Sorry, um--” she sighs “Let's get started?”

Veronica smiles and yeah, fuck that smile so hard “Yeah, yeah sounds great”

“So um--” Betty shakes her head and does her best to rid herself of any thoughts that aren’t about the school “I used to do this in high school” she chuckles a bit while Veronica shoots her a questioning look “Show the new kids around, that’s what Weatherbee meant when he said like the old days” she adds “not that there were a ton a new kids”

“Small towns tend to keep the same people” Veronica quips, clasping her hands in front of her “and anyone that moves there is swallowed whole by them”

Betty’s brows furrow at her words “then why move here?” Usually she keeps her thoughts to herself but she can’t help just asking--she is genuinely confused as to why this woman would go from New York City to Riverdale of all places.

“Fresh start” a beat “I needed to be swallowed up by something like Riverdale” Betty doesn’t get it but Betty has also never left Riverdale because she has been ‘swallowed’ by it since birth “So how long have you been engaged?”

The question makes her do a double take “I--what?” 

“Your finger” she gestures to the ring that Betty has been fiddling with the moment Veronica had started talking “Weatherbee said ‘Miss Cooper’ so I’m assuming you’re engaged”

Betty nods and shakes her head “Um, married actually” Veronica raises an eyebrow “Have been for about a year and a half but--” she looks down at the floor “I’m married to a woman and Weatherbee is--” she sighs “old fashioned so he just calls me ‘Miss Cooper’”

“Oh” Veronica’s nose scrunches up “dick move”

The blonde can’t help but snort “he’s the least of it” a curious look is tossed at her “I was born here, so was my wife and we--we started dating in high school so we’re used to it but everyone always stares even after all these years”

Veronica frowns “that’s awful”

“Yeah, well, it’s Riverdale” Betty shrugs because things like that? The least of her problems most days “Sometimes small towns tend to be stuck in the past” 

There was a beat of silence between the two “So--” Betty knows they’re off track and now would be the perfect moment to just get them back on track, she could start talking about the mural on the wall, the date the school was built, how long its been around but the woman--she just wants to, _needs_ to know more. It feels like something is just pulling to this woman, from the minute Keven yanked her over, something just keeps _yanking_. 

“Are you seeing anybody?”

Veronica shakes her head a little sharply and huffs “God, no. I needed a break after my last relationship and that was about a year ago” she sighs “Bad break-up”

Betty nods and does her best to understand. Cheryl and Betty had been dating since high school--she doesn’t get taking a break because for the last ten years of her life, she’s been the girlfriend, wife, partner of Cheryl Blossom. 

“Well maybe someone here will peak your interest” she’s not sure what goes unsaid but something does, she feels it hanging in the air between them.

“Yeah” Veronica glances over at Betty and smiles, mostly to herself “Maybe”

-

The rest of the day is uneventful--her tour only lasts about an hour before Veronica is summoned back into Weatherbee’s office for some paperwork and Betty is sent on her merry way back to her room where Jughead is, of course, talking about the murder of her brother-in-law by her father-in-law.

(old news judging by the look on the kids’ faces)

She feels exhausted by the time her last class releases and leaves Jughead to do some of their end of day things as payback for talking about Jason.

She collapses into her car, yanking her hair out of it’s ponytail and letting out a heavy sigh--she feels so tired all the time now, like everything is just sitting right on her shoulders and no matter what does, or how much she sleeps like it just doesn’t _lessen_. She heaves her schoolwork onto the passenger seat and quickly flips the radio on to distract her wandering thoughts and fill in the silence while she drives home.

Her home comes into view and she can’t help but smile a little bit--they had started renting it just about two years ago and are now working to own it because they quickly decided it’s their forever home. Two stories, three bedrooms, modest kitchen, spacious backyard and, Betty’s favorite part, the large porch she loves to sit on while it pours around them. The light yellow paint needed to be repainted, the stairs could use some sprucing up and the walkway was cracked with some plants growing up from them but it was home. 

Betty just leaves her schoolwork on the passenger seat, not really wanting to carry it, and drags her feet down the walkway, up the steps and, a little sluggish, opens the door.

“Cheryl?” she calls out into her home knowing she probably isn’t going to get anything back “Cher, hon, you here?” all Betty receives in return is the telltale sound of her baby running at her--her fur baby.

The blonde crouches down and opens her arms, ready for the impact of her and Cheryl’s five year old yellow lab, Lane. The dog runs straight into Betty’s arms and starts barking, excited to see her after being home alone all day “hey, baby” Betty scratches at her Lane’s ears, a big smile on her face; Lane is the only thing that made Cheryl not being home so much, bearable. 

Betty quickly settles into her ‘I just got home routine’- get out of her skirt and heels to slip into her jeans and sneakers, eat a quick snack and take Lane on a walk. She’ll come back, grab her work, do that for a little bit, make dinner, feed Lane, take a shower, work a little more and then go to sleep. Sometimes Cheryl will be there, sometimes not but all in all it was a well oiled machine.

She’s halfway down her street, Lane peeing on Ms. Rey’s lawn, when she sees a familiar face “Veronica?” the woman spins around and her look of confusion as to who’s calling her bleeds into one that Betty would like to call ‘pleasant surprise’. 

“Oh, hi, Betty” the woman walks over, still dressed immaculately in what must be designer clothes, and looks down at Lane “And hello to you” she reaches down to scratch at Lane’s head when Betty opens her mouth to say that she really isn’t keen on strangers but snaps it shut when Lane seems more than happy to be receiving attention from Veronica “Oh she’s so sweet. What’s her name?”

“Um” Betty shakes her head, suddenly feeling so much more awake “Lane. After Lois Lane”

Veronica laughs, light and airy “the journalism teacher naming their dog after Lois Lane. I love it”

The blonde just smiles as she looks down at her dog who is now sitting next to her owner dutifully “so you’re moving in around here?”

“Oh yeah, right there” she points to a house two house away from them “I was just walking around, getting a feel for the neighborhood, you know” a beat “You live around here?”

“Yeah just down the street” Betty makes a vague gesture behind her and then mentally smacks herself because she knows that made her look like an idiot.

“Yay!” Veronica claps, a bright smile on her face, a bright smile that makes Betty smile for some fucking reason “I was hoping you’d live around here, truth be told, that way I wouldn’t just be that person who doesn’t know anyone around here”

“Oh that never would’ve happened, people here are too nosey to let you keep to yourself” 

And then Betty says something, something she shouldn’t say because she’s married and her feelings towards this woman who is very much _not_ her wife are very confusing and it was just be best to make polite conversation and then turn around and forget about her and--

“Do you wanna come over? It’s just me and Lane tonight”

Well, fuck.

Veronica grins all white pearly teeth and God, for real--- _fuck_ that smile “I would love that”

-

Having Veronica in her home is something that causes Betty’s skin to prickle and something akin to guilt settle in her stomach. Logically she knows they’re not doing anything, Betty and Veronica will probably pick up some food from Pop’s, they’ll eat while watching something of Veronica’s choosing and then she’ll go home and that will be that. 

Nothing promiscuous, nothing scandalous, just two people getting to know each other. Two co-workers. 

But the way Betty feels just so-- _drawn_ to Veronica makes it all seem not so innocent, makes it hard to even think about stomaching the greasy food she usually loves.

Lane quickly settles on her bed that lays in the corner of the living room, playing some of the dozen toys she has, no longer interested in the stranger wandering through her home, leaving Betty to show Veronica around.

“Well this is my house” Betty gestures to the whole living room “not a lot but it’s home” 

“No, it’s beautiful” a beat while Veronica casually wanders around her living room, looking at pictures Betty’s thrown up over the past 2 years of them living there “is that your wife?”

She walks over to see what pictures Veronica is staring at and sees her brown eyes looking down at a picture of the day Cheryl and Betty adopted Lane--a soft smile works itself on Betty’s face “Oh, yeah that’s her” Betty picks up the frame and a something in her chest aches; she misses Cheryl, the Cheryl who would give Betty attention and would actually come home to her, the one who was so happy to expand their family with a puppy “Lane was ten weeks old when we got her”

“She’s beautiful”

“Oh, I know” Betty snorts a little “And the funny thing is we almost got a cat but I just saw Lane and fell in love and--”

“No, Betts, I meant your wife”

“Oh” Betty frowns a little “Yes she is” she puts down the frame and sighs--talking about Lane is a lot less achey than talking about Cheryl “So how long have you been in town because if you haven’t hit up Pop’s yet, you’re missing out”

And just like that, she pushes the topic away from her redheaded wife.

-

Veronica and Betty are laughing loudly at some sitcom that Veronica had picked to watch while they ate when the front door swings open and in walks Cheryl who is barely concealing a look of confusion and distaste at seeing another woman on her couch, with her dog curled up right next to her feet and with _her_ wife sitting next to her.

“Oh, Cher” Betty pops up and does her best to calm her heart rate that spike at seeing the redhead while Lane barks happily and leaves Veronica’s side to go to Cheryl “You’re home!”

“Yes, I am” she presses a kiss to Betty’s mouth, a second longer than usual before pulling back and smiling a sugary sweet smile at Veronica while she pats Lane’s head “And you are?”

“Oh this is Veronica Lodge” Betty cuts in as she introduces the two, Veronica standing from the couch to introduce herself “She’s the new English teacher at the school and she just happened to move in down the street”

“How nice” Cheryl shakes Veronica’s hand firmly “Well, excuse me, I will just go upstairs and leave you two to it”

“No, no, it’s okay, I was just leaving” Veronica says quickly which is not true but Betty doesn’t say anything because it’s probably for the best “My mom is coming into town tomorrow anyways so I should probably head home to try and put things together” 

“Okay, then I’ll see you tomorrow then” Betty isn’t sure how to say goodbye to this woman but Veronica takes the lead by gently tugging at Betty’s hand and wraps her up in a hug, causing Betty’s whole chest to tighten just the slightest but it doesn’t feel bad at all and that alone makes Betty’s heart leap a little “Thanks so much for today, Betts. Nice to have a friend already”

“Of course” they bid each other goodbye one more time and then Veronica is gone and the door closes behind her leaving Betty to face an annoyed Cheryl. 

“I missed you when I got home” Betty says before a fight can start--always best to get ahead of it. 

“Wouldn’t have guessed with how chummy you seemed to be with her”

Betty sighs “C’mon, Cher, don’t do this”

“I’m just saying--” and that’s how it goes, what Cheryl says is what Cheryl says and no one can say anything to contradict her. Her word is law. Even in their marriage. 

Betty loves Cheryl but she really is a pain in the ass the minute she feels threatened which happens more than either woman would care to admit, even after a decade of Betty’s proven, undying faithfulness, Cheryl will always find something to be threatened about. 

“Betty are you even listening to me?”

“Yes, I am but you don’t have to worry about anything Cheryl. You’re my wife and I love you and I’m not going anywhere”

Cheryl pouts and Betty just can’t help but melt at that. She gently tugs Cheryl into her arms and wraps her arms loosely around her wife’s waist, she kisses Cheryl softly “I love you, Cheryl Blossom” the words are mumbled into her mouth and it seems to pacify any fears the redhead has as she grabs the back of Betty’s neck and brings her down so that she can properly kiss her wife.

They pull apart after a second with Cheryl’s arms falling to Betty’s waist, wounding around it tightly “You are mine, Betty Cooper” a beat “I love you too much to let you go”

Betty does her best to not frown--Cheryl’s words, especially as of lately, always seem to hold another meaning, a meaning that Betty is just not privy to. Her lips quirk a little but she quickly moves them into a smile--whatever it is, at the end of the day she knows she has Cheryl.

And that’s all Betty needs.

-

Betty is unlocking her classroom door, being Jughead can never get to school on time, when a voice makes her heart jump into her throat “Betty!” her hand immediately flies to her chest as she spins around, her whole body already tense to see a smiling Veronica looking at her “Oh, I’m sorry did I scare you?”

The blonde sucks in a deep breath before chuckling “Um--just a little” she shakes her head before turning back to her door and pushing it open “why are you here so early?” she calls over her shoulder as she walks inside the classroom, piling her bags on her desk.

Veronica follows her and walks into the classroom “wanted to make sure I know where everything is so I’m not stumbling around my lessons all day” she looks around the classroom “how long have you been here?”

“Um just about two years” Betty sighs and throws her lesson plans on Jughead’s desk along with a few snacks (keeps his hands entertained when all he wants to do is write) “Juggie and I ran the Blue and Gold when we actually went here so when we were both out of college and out of jobs, we decided to do something we knew we were good at”

“Juggie?” Veronica asks with a raised eyebrow

“Oh right” the blonde laughs “Jughead Jones The Third, my co teacher but I’ve called him Juggie since we were ten”

“Is his name really Jughead?”

“No” both women jump at the new voice, they turn to see Jughead standing in the doorway, a paper bag in hand “but Jughead feels more like me”

“You’re early” the surprise in Betty’s voice is clear “You’re never early”

“Yeah, well, Archie is a giant who stomps around the room like an asshole and he woke me up way too early” the small smile he wears takes away the bite of his words--he loves Archie, he does but man, the redhead works his nerve “figured you might like me showing up early for once” he plops down at his desk and opens up the paper bag and pulls out a burger.

Veronica makes a face but Betty doesn’t bat an eye--she’s used to Jughead and his very questionable eating habits.

Betty rolls her eyes before looking to Veronica “sorry” a beat “so are you excited for your first day?”

Veronica nods and cocks her head to the side “Excited, nervous, the nerves all feel the same when they’re making my stomach twist around” she sets her purse down on Betty’s desk and scootches herself up on it, her feet now completely off the floor “Just ready to get started”

“Don’t take these precious few hours before first period starts--it’s the only genuine quiet time you will get after that first bell rings” Betty sits on her desk, Veronica swivels around as best she can to keep eye contact with her “You settle in okay last night?”

The new teacher shrugs “Okay” she huffs “But the house is still so bare except of my couch and TV, hell, even my ‘bed’ is just a mattress on the floor till I unpack everything and put it together”

Betty chuckles, giving some of her kids’ papers a glance over “Yeah I think when we first moved into the house, we spent a week sleeping on the floor with a just a bunch of blankets as a mattress till the new one we ordered got in” the blonde smiles softly thinking back to when they first moved into the house--it had took some adjusting on everyone’s part 

(She and Cheryl were still so deeply in love and laughed every night when they had to get on their ‘bed’ and make due with having almost no comfort from those three blankets they stacked ontop of each other--anyone else, it might’ve irritated them but her and Cheryl? Nothing else mattered because they had each other. 

Every missing appliance, every mismatched piece of furniture, every back ache, headache, and any other ache they had was just background noise to being so happy they got their dream home and they got to do it together.

Now everything matches, they everything they could ever need, the mattress is so plush and soft that it Betty’s never had a bad night’s sleep on it but she knows she would give everything back and sleep on the floor if it meant _her_ Cheryl would come back to her)

“Well, anyways, we got about--” Betty looks down at her watch “an hour before we should be in our rooms, wanna grab some breakfast?” Suddenly she feels very eager to not think about Cheryl for a little bit.

The other woman beams at the question “Absolutely” she hops off with grace despite her heels and dress and Betty is right on her heels when Jughead calls out to her.

“Wait, Betts, before you go can I talk to you real quick?”

Both women turn around “Uh sure” Betty looks to Veronica who waves her off 

“I’m gonna drop my stuff off at my room, meet me there?” 

The blonde nods and as soon as the clacking of Veronica’s heels fade, Betty walks over to Jughead’s desk and sighs heavily, planting her palms down on the wood “what?” she knows Jughead and she knows that weird tone he uses when he is gonna say something she doesn’t like

“You’re married, Betty”

She rolls her eyes “I know”

“No” he stands up and gently grabs her wrists “You are married. Flirting with other people tends to be a no-no”

“I’m not--”

“Betty” she sighs “You love Cheryl”

“Yes, I know that”

“And I know she’s been spending a lot of time with Josie and you feel like she’s pull--”

“Stop” she snatches her wrists back, an anger coling in her stomach at his words, Betty is sunshine personified 90% of the time, always a smile on her lips but everyone has that nerve you don’t poke at--what Cheryl does when Betty’s not around is her nerve.

“You don’t get to talk to me about Cheryl and who she’s spending time with and whether or not she’s home. That’s _my_ marriage, _my_ business and, if I tell you something, I tell you because you’re my friend, not so you can use it against me later”

He winces “Betty--”

“No, look, I like Veronica. She’s nice and she’s funny and I can see us being really good _friends_ so stop. I know I’m married, you don’t have to remind me” she plucks her bag off her own desk before walking out of the room leaving Jughead alone.

-

“Hey” Betty knocks on the door to Veronica’s room “You ready?”

“Yeah” the brunette whirls around and the smile she sends at Betty is enough to make herself feel guilty because, wow does she want Veronica to smile at her like that all the time “Let's get some shitty cafeteria food”

Veronica links arms with Betty as soon as she’s within arms reach and Betty can feel her skin get hot under the soft touch. She chokes back any stupid thing she could, and might, say “So your mom is coming in today?”

“Oh, yeah and she’s so excited to come. She actually grew up here” 

Betty cocks her head to the side “really?”

“Yeah, that’s why I choose Riverdale” Veronica shrugs “I thought it’d be nice to come back and see where my mom was born and raised till she left at 17” 

“My mom was born and raised her, dad too--glad someone got out” it’s a joke but some part of it doesn’t feel like it 

“It’s that bad you think?”

Betty hesitates a second and slowly shakes her head “I love this town. It’s where me and my sister grew up, where I met my wife, my friends, where I decided to put my roots down _but_ I am aware that there is so much more out there--more accepting, more opportunities, more anything” she shrugs “But it’s home” it feels like backtracking adding that last bit but she ignores it.

Veronica nods along with her words “Well, maybe it can be my home too” she chuckles “New York certainly chewed me up and spit me out”

“Just takes some getting used to--it’s a little abrasive but, find the right people, you’ll be golden, just don’t run off, yet”

Veronica chuckles and smiles that goddamn smile that makes Betty’s insides grow warm“I wouldn’t worry about that” she shrugs a little, letting go of of the blonde’s arm “I already met you and that’s enough to make up for any bad in this town” 

She tugs the door of the cafeteria open and walks inside leaving Betty to collect herself before following her.

-

They settle into Veronica’s classroom with Veronica sitting at her deck and Betty sitting right across from her on the other side of it “So Jughead?” Betty looks up from her apple, a questioning look on her face “He’s gay too or--?” Betty’s brows furrow “He mentioned an Archie”

“Oh” Betty’s face relaxes “no, no, Jughead isn’t into anyone” a beat “He’s asexual and aromantic. He’d rather marry a burger before he marries another person”

Veronica snorts “I get that” she opens her granola bar “So who’s Archie?”

“Mine and Jughead’s best friend and Juggie’s roommate”

“Single?”

“No, no Arch is happily taken” Betty smiles at the thought of her childhood best friend finding love “Her name is Valerie and he’s head over heels. They're engaged, actually”

“I guess everyone is town has found their soulmate then” 

It’s an innocent comment but it makes Betty’s stomach twist around because she feels like she’s in high school around this girl but she’s not--she’s an adult and she’s married. She reminds herself of that, swallows the chunk of apple in her mouth, and smiles

“You could say that”

-

Halfway through Betty and Jughead’s second class of the day during a quiet moment, Betty notices a piece of paper fly onto her desk. At first, she looks up at her class but they all have their eyes glued to their desks and no one seems to be laughing and then she looks over to see Jughead looking at her. 

The blonde hadn’t spoken to him since returning from her breakfast with Veronica which made it hard to teach but she’s feeling a little stubborn today. 

She chews on her lip for a second before snatching it up and opening it, on the inside is a simple ‘ _sorry for acting like an ass._ ’

She pushes down a snort and looks over at her best friend and smiles at him, mouthing a simple ‘it’s okay’ and that’s all either of them needs. Nothing too mushy or Jughead says he might actually start vomiting. Always over dramatic, that one.

The rest of the day is significantly less tense. At least with Jughead. 

Her phone buzzes around lunchtime with a message from Cheryl, she quickly swipes it open to see a ‘ _be home late. Sorry, hon_ .’ Betty’s heart clenches as soon as she reads ‘late’--she hates feeling like this, feeling like her wife is just slipping through her fingers while all she does is grasp and grasp _and grasp_. 

A second later her phone buzzes again, another message from Cheryl, simply saying _‘i love you._ ’ Betty sniffs as her fingers hover over her keyboard--she always told Cheryl ‘it’s okay’ or just ‘okay, love you’ just something to let Cheryl know she wasn’t upset and her second message was a gentle way of reminding Betty of that. 

Reminding of her the system they had so carefully worked out without ever talking about it so their marriage wouldn’t crumble in on itself.

But the blonde just can’t find in herself to type out it’s okay because it’s not. Everyone is whispering around her about how Cheryl is--her eyes burn as she blinks back tears--is cheating on her. Her students whisper about it, the other teachers, people she’s never even fucking met before. They all whisper the same thing ‘poor Betty’, ‘doesn’t she realize’, or her personal favorite ‘still the doormat we knew it high school’. 

A third message comes through _‘Betty?_ ’

Betty sucks in a breath and types out _‘Got it, Cheryl_.’ she looks at it and some part of her knows that this will make Cheryl upset, knows the use of her name instead of a pet name will irk her and how its not what Betty would usually send and, well, all of that just makes it a little easier to press down ‘send’.

Another message comes through a second later and, at first, Betty is scared it’s Cheryl, scared she’s gonna have to read one of her biting remarks, but when she looks down she just sees Veronica’s name and _‘lunch? :))_ ’

She types out a ‘yeah! Sounds great, meet me at my room’ and then pockets her phone refusing to look at it till the end of class.

-

She looks up at the knock against her door to see Veronica standing in the doorway “Hey” she pushes away the stack of papers she had been focused on “you ready to eat?”

“God, yes” Veronica walks into the classroom and sits down in one of the desks around of the room “I should’ve eaten more this morning but that sausage looked so--” her nose scrunches “grey”

“Well how about we go off campus? Pop’s isn’t too far away, we can pick something up there”

The brunette groans “yes, please, that sounds fantastic, I swear I had a sex dream about that burger from last night”

Betty can’t help but laugh at that, deep and loud “Well, now, you and Jughead have that common” Veronica answers back with her own laugh and it just makes Betty feel so soft in that moment even when Jughead just flips her off, not even looking up from his desk.

She gathers her stuff and stands up, looking to her co-teacher “You want something? My treat?”

Jughead looks down at the burger he’s already eating and nods “my usual” he swallows a bit roughly “you’re the best, Betts, even when you accuse me of having erotic dreams about burgers”

She laughs again “I know”

-

Not five minutes after Betty and Veronica left the room does Jughead look up to see Cheryl Blossom, herself standing in the doorway to his and Betty’s room. Internally he’s panicking a little because Betty told him how she kind of blew Cheryl off and now she’s off with Veronica, who Betty told him that Cheryl definitely didn’t like already and he’s not sure how to handle this and _god dammit_ this is why he doesn’t do relationships.

“Cheryl” he wipes at his mouth of the back of his hand and stands up--everyone is scared of her but not Jughead Jones; He grew up with people like Cheryl, been watching them his whole life. He knows what she really is and, that alone, makes her just look weak to him “How can I help you?”

She looks at Betty’s empty desk “Where’s my wife?”

He shrugs “Went to pick something up to eat. Tired of cafeteria food, you know” he snaps his fingers “Oh that’s right! You never come to visit her here” 

Cheryl ignores his quips--he’s pretty sure she blocks out 80% of everything he says, only picking out what she needs to hear “She forgot her purse”

Jughead looks down to see that Betty did, in fact, forget her purse on her chair. Well, she didn’t forget it so much as Veronica insist she pay for Betty and Jughead and made Betty leave her purse here “Right--” he shrugs “Someone else is paying”

Cheryl levels with him with a hard stare but he refuses to back down “who?”

He sighs, sends a silent prayer up to whoever is listening because this whole thing is so not his business and then speaks “Veronica. Veronica Lodge--” Cheryl turns on her heel and walks away without another word leaving Jughead to plop down back on his chair, sigh, and pull out his phone.

-

Betty and Veronica are leaning against the bar of Pop’s when her phone vibrates with a text--she knows it’s not Cheryl because she put her wife on ‘Do not Disturb’ earlier in the day, and looks down to see a text from Jughead. 

**Juggie: your lovely wife stopped by. Hounded me for info and knows you’re with veronica. Sorry, betts**

The blonde huffs and Veronica raises an eyebrow “Nothing” Betty pockets her phone and decides to just ignore it “Just jughead asking where his food is”

Veronica laughs “Tell him we’ll be there soon enough” she hops up on a barstool and sighs “So what are you doing after work?”

“Nothing--just probably gonna take Lane out and make something small, work a little maybe--the wife is working late”

“Oh!” Veronica claps and Betty can’t help but smile at her, seriously it’s becoming a problem about how she can’t seem to frown around this woman “Come over! You can see the place and give me some advice on where to put some stuff, I totally procrastinated last night. My mom won’t be here till like midnight cause everything got delayed” Betty opens her mouth to decline because she feels like that might be pushing it with Cheryl but Veronica grabs her hand and gives her the best smile she has, and the best puppy dog eyes she has “Please. Lane is more than welcome to join”

And, with that, Betty knows she’s fucked.

“Of course”

-

Veronica follows her home after work and waits in the living room while Betty quickly changes and lets Lane out into the backyard leaving Veronica to wander around just like she had done yesterday. She pauses as she looks at a picture that sits right in the middle of the mantle, it must be Cheryl and Betty’s wedding day,--it doesn’t look terribly extravagant but god, does it look beautiful.

_Betty looks beautiful._

The brunette sighs and shakes her head--no more thoughts like that. Veronica had fallen a little for the blonde as soon as Weatherbee had introduced them, it was a little pathetic really how the blonde’s green eyes and genuine smile just _pulled_ at something in Veronica. 

But she couldn’t help it--not only is Veronica a romantic at heart and always gives a little too much, too fast, but Betty was just so--so _Betty_. Something Veronica, after only a day, is intimately familiar with. 

A little bit of her heart shattered at looking at Betty’s ring finger and finding out, not only was she married but she had a _wife_.

Veronica huffed and looked at another picture of just Betty and Lane and her heart melted--she would be this girl’s friend even if it killed her. If she couldn't have _that_ kind of relationship, then goddamn it, she would be her friend, her best friend, her best co-worker, whatever way Betty would have her. 

Call it fate or what have you, she just knows she and Betty were meant to be in each other’s lives. She knows because from the moment she laid eyes on the blonde, there’s been this, just, relentless tug towards her. Like she’s been tied to Betty, her whole life and just didn’t know it and now she's right there and that tie, that tether is just _yanking_ at her. 

And Veronica has never been the type of person to fight that tug.

“Ronnie?” she spun around to see Betty dressed down and she could just feel the affection for this girl wrap itself around her heart and as light as it makes her feel in the moment, she knows later, when she’s sitting at home alone, knowing Betty’s at home with her beautiful wife, it will feel like a weight sinking to her stomach “You ready?”

She smiles, a little too brightly “Yeah, let’s go”

-

After a long few hours of Betty and Veronica debating where the couch, dining table, small shelves, etc. should go, they collapse on the couch both breathing a little hard at their labor. Lane quickly hops on the couch and stretches herself across the two women, more than happy at being on the couch since Veronica had no qualms about the dog being on furniture. 

The brunette absentmindedly scratches the dog’s head and smiles “Thank you so much for your help”

“No problem”

“I was talking to Lane”

Betty snorts and pats her baby “I’ll excuse that because she’s such good emotional support”

Veronica smiles and lets out a heavy sigh “Wanna get dinner?” she spares a look at her watch “Or do you have to go home? It’s already nine”

“No” the blonde shakes her head “I have to, at least 11, before Cheryl starts making a fuss” she tries not to grimace at the thought of her wife--she knows she’s in for it when she gets home since she hasn’t heard a peep from Cheryl since blowing her off that afternoon. 

“Great” Veronica moves a little, much to annoyance of Lane, so she can look at Betty “What do you feel like? And, _please_ , I know it’s a treasure here, but _don’t_ say Pop’s”

Betty laughs and shakes her head “I’m all Pop’d out for the next week” she plays with the end of her pony “What about italian? There’s a great little restaurant more towards the outskirts of town but it’s really good and we can call ahead to just bring it back here”

“Sounds like a plan, Coop”

Affection settles deep in Betty’s stomach but she just smiles and takes her phone out so they can place their order.

-

They go to the little restaurant, a small hole in the wall, named _Ava’s_ \--Betty only really knew about it because the owner’s daughter, Ava, goes to her school and is always trying to get people to go for her dad and try their food.

As soon as Veronica has the plastic bags in hand though, the smell is just too good, and they end up eating most of it in the car. Betty chuckles as she bites down on her third breadstick “Lane is gonna be so pissed off that we ate before she could beg” 

“I’ll save her something” Veronica quips around a mouthful of her chicken parmesan. 

The blonde shakes her head “Do not spoil my baby, please” Betty sighs “She’s already spoiled enough as is with how much of a softie I am with her”

“Betty Cooper, soft?” Veronica scoffs, playfully “I never would have guessed” 

She smiles “Shut up”

They’re quiet for a few minutes before Betty’s phone vibrates against her thigh--

**Cherry <3: where are you?**

**Cherry <3: and lane?**

Betty bites back a groan and looks at the clock--a little passed ten, a whole hour earlier than usual. She quickly gives back a ‘be home in a little bit’ and when she feels her phone vibrate again, promptly ignores it.

“You okay?”

“Yeah” she answers a little too quickly and Veronica raises an eyebrow “Well, no, but mostly yes” she shrugs “Stuff that can be handled later” she picks up her fork and shoves some more pasta in her mouth “For now, I’m focused of this amazing food and company”

Veronica smiles “Amazing company?”

“The amazing was just about the food but whatever helps you sleep at night”

The brunette laughs and it’s so loud with his genuine happiness; Betty quickly decides, in that moment, she wants to hear it again and again and again “Wow, burned by the girl next door blonde--I’m sure my reputation just took a hit”

“Oh, just you wait, Ms. Lodge, I can do dark”

“All dark, no stars?”

Betty laughs “Duh”

-

They get back to Veronica’s place a little after 10:30, and just like Betty predicted, Lane does seem oh so offended by the fact that more than half of their food is gone. 

(but then Veronica slips her some chicken and she goes right back to her happy self)

Betty sighs as she looks at the now ten ignored texts from her wife and groans around her fork “I think me and Lane are gonna have to bow out for the night”

Veronica pouts “Already?”

“Yeah, the missus is wondering where her dog is at” Betty smiles, paints it as a joke, but damn Betty knows she’s in for it when she gets home.

“I guess I understand” she pats Lane’s head “I would miss this gorgeous girl too” she glances at Betty, for a second “both of you”

Betty feels her cheeks burn at that but decides to brush the comment off because that is just too much to unpack in the moment. She gathers all her things, along with Lane’s toys that she brought, and stands up “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“For sure” Veronica smiles that soft little smile “You’re my lunch break buddy now--I’ll even tolerate Pop’s but only two days a week, anything else and I’m sure my veins and pores would feel clogged within the week”

The blonde smiles “Sounds like a deal” 

They bid each other goodbye with a hug that lasts a beat too long but neither comments on it and just give each other a soft smile. 

-

As soon as Betty’s care is out of sight, Veronica closes the door, collapses on the couch and lets out a huge breath.

She was sure this girl was gonna be the death of her and she was loving every second of it.

-

Betty sits in the car for a solid five minutes before getting out and walking up to the house, she quickly opens the door and Lane, barges in and goes straight to Cheryl who is, of course, still awake, sitting on the couch. 

“Oh! Look who’s finally home!” the redhead scratches Lane’s ears “ _My_ dog and _my_ wife”

Betty sighs “Okay, okay, I get it”

“Do you?” Cheryl stands up, a little abruptly “Do you ‘get’ how worried I was? To come home and find, not only my wife gone, but my dog as well” she lets out a humorless laugh “Because I don’t think you ‘get’ it--”

“Cheryl”

“I texted everyone--Archie, Jughead, Val, Kevin, hell, I even tried, your mom on the off chance she would see you right now”

Betty’s gut twists at the taunt “Cher--”

“And then you ignore me! Betty, I am your wife! I was worried sick and you ignored me! For who, huh? Who were you with that was more important than me?!”

“Okay! Okay! I’m sorry!” guilt grabs Betty by the throat and refuses to let go--she feels like she wants to vomit “I was just helping Veronica decorate her house because she still hadn’t put anything up and we went to go get something to eat since we hadn’t eaten since lunch and--”

Cheryl looks like she could kill someone “Of course you were with her”

“Cher--”

“I don’t like the way that woman comes into town and suddenly your wife is second place--”

“I just lost track of time!”

“Right--yeah, I’m sure that’s what happened” Cheryl’s voice is dripping with sarcasm and it just makes Betty want to crawl under a rock and die--she hates when she gets like this.

“Cher, please, nothing happened! I’m so sorry, It was a genuine accident and it won’t happen again”

There’s a beat of silence and Betty knows what’s coming, she knows, she feels it deep in her gut and, God, she doesn’t want her to say it-- “I don't think you should hang out with her anymore--it’s not good for us”

And there it was--Betty hated it. Absolutely hates it. It had happened a few times where Cheryl felt like Betty might be getting too chummy with someone and ask her to stop talking to them.

(the woman Veronica happened to replace, _Sandy_ \--Cheryl hated her and Betty never wanted Cheryl to feel uncomfortable or insecure so she stopped talking to Sandy unless absolutely necessary)

But she can’t with Veronica, she _can’t_ and she _won’t_. 

So she just sighs “Cheryl, c’mon”

“No, I don’t think she’s good for us, or you” Cheryl sighs and walks over to Betty, grabbing her hands “Betts, baby, I’m just looking out for you, for us, you know that”

The softness in her voice soothes Betty’s anxiety as the blonde still grapples with the guilt her wife shoved upon her the moment she walked through the door. 

“C’mon, baby, listen to me” she drops one of Betty’s hands and cups her chin, raises her wife’s head so that they lock eyes “You know I love you--I just want to make sure we’re okay before anything else”

Betty sighs, her body feels like she just ran a marathon and she just wants to _give in, to make it stop,_ but she can’t. She’s not letting it happen again

“Cher, she’s just a friend”

Cheryl sighs, a deep frown in place, “Okay, Betty” she drops her hands to her sides and Betty aches for her to just keep holding on “I’m going to go to bed--I’m tired and I have to be up early tomorrow”

She retreats upstairs and slams their bedroom door close, no doubt, locking it behind her. Betty lets out a shaky breath and goes to the couch and collapses on it, Lane trots over, whines a little and places her head on Betty’s knee looking up at her with her big brown eyes.

“It’s okay, baby” Betty sighs “It’ll be okay”

Tears burn her eyes so badly, she rubs at them as best she can--she hates this, she hates feeling so--so bad, so ugly, like there’s acid running through her veins. She loves Cheryl so much, with every bit of her heart, and it hurts that the redhead doesn’t see it or just chooses not to.

Betty curls up on the couch and lets something mindless play on the TV until she eventually falls into a fitful sleep.

-

The next morning, Betty wakes up abruptly to the bedroom door slamming closed again--she sits up straight and immediately regrets it. She hadn’t slept on the couch for awhile and forgot what it does to her back but that is quickly out of her mind as her wife comes down the steps, the same cold look from the night before still on her face.

She goes into the kitchen without a word, or even a glance, at the blonde. Betty sighs and gently shoves Lane off of her and goes to the kitchen door, she sucks in a deep breath, smooths her clothes out and opens the door to see Cheryl making herself a bowl of oatmeal.

Betty allows the silence to settle for a minute before she sighs, heavily “Cheryl”

A beat passes with nothing but the microwave humming being heard.

“Cheryl, please”

An annoyed sigh--”What?”

“Can we talk?” Betty crosses her arms over her chest “About our fight”

“What about it?” her voice is still drenched in the attitude from last night “You clearly don’t care about how I feel when it comes to that _Lodge_ woman or how hurt and worried I was”

“I’m sorry, Cher” Betty feels that stomach churning guilt again “I really am. I should have called or texted back but I was just--just kind of upset because you said you were gonna get home late again and I just--I just took it out by ignoring you and I shouldn’t have done that” Betty takes a step towards her “And I’m sorry”

The reference to Cheryl’s late night working nights hangs in the air and they both know it--they both know that it’s dangerous territory, territory that don’t ever wander into for fear or what could happen to them. 

So the redhead sucks in a breath and just nods “I don’t like it, Betty, I want to be home with you but I can’t help it” the microwave goes off “But let's just forget last night happened, yeah?”

And, just like that, _her_ Cheryl is back.

The warm, loving, affectionate Cheryl who wraps Betty up in a hug and kisses her senseless for as long as she wants--Betty’s heart threatens to burst out of her chest with how much it swells up feeling that familiar warmth from her wife. They lapse into a quiet hug and Betty just buries her nose in Cheryl’s red locks, inhales deeply and does everything she can to not think of her parents at that moment and all their fights from her childhood.

-

  
  


Life goes on after that--Cheryl drops the topic of Veronica, more or less, doesn’t say her name, but does make a face if Betty ever says her name. Cheryl spends more and more time away from home, coming home later and later, even taking a weekend or two away for a work conference. Some part of it feels like a punishment, like Betty not pushing Veronica out of life meant Cheryl couldn’t be there that much but the blonde quickly pushes those thoughts as far away as she can.

Betty, more or less, feels like her marriage is standing on the edge with her holding onto so tightly, it hurts.

But Veronica and Betty? 

That incessant pull just becomes stronger and neither of them fight it, they revel in their newfound friendship. Always taking lunch together--either going to Pop’s, to Ava’s (their spot, as Veronica so lovingly dubbed it) or some chain fast foot in their town. 

(Never the cafeteria food though, that much that agree on)

Veronica ends up seamlessly falling in with her life long friends with makes nothing but sense to Betty because sometimes it feels like she’s known Veronica her whole life. 

Archie and she talk about music for forever, her and Val discuss fashion and feminism and what it means to them as women of color, she and Kevin gossip about school drama (‘Finally someone who will talk about this shit!”), even she and Jughead talk about writing, books, and double meanings in some novel Betty’s never read. 

(it strikes her in the moment of watching Jughead of all people laugh at something Veronica says that Cheryl hates 90% of the people in the room--she seems to _tolerate_ Val but has nothing but hate for Archie, Kevin, Jughead and Veronica. 

It hurts to really take in just how much Cheryl was always unwilling to try to be their friend.)

It just takes two and half months and suddenly Betty can’t remember how she really lived before Veronica Lodge came into town. She pushes those conflicting feelings for her friend down though because this girl quickly became so important to her and Betty _refuses_ to risk it.

So she just allows her stomach to flip and her skin to prickle when Veronica holds her arm and her skin to burn when Veronica brushes a kiss to her hairline or cheek--she can deal with it. 

She _has_ to because she’s not letting go.

-

Veronica, in her two and a half months in Riverdale, quickly decides some things.

  * _Betty is amazing and she loves her (still deciding how) and she’s Veronica’s best friend._


  * Kevin Keller is fucking amazing and Veronica adores him.


  * Judging from his diet, Jughead should not be alive.


  * Archie and Val are the definition of ‘couple goals’


  * She hates Cheryl goddamn Blossom.



Because, in her last two and a half months, Veronica has heard many things. Some from Kevin, some from random strangers who talk too loud in a school hallway, and some just from Betty’s mouth.

She’s, by now, heard the same rumor even Betty, herself, has heard--Cheryl is cheating on her with Josie McCoy. That alone is enough to piss Veronica because, what the hell? Who has Betty Cooper as a wife and cheats on her. That makes no sense to her.

And, then there’s the things she’s heard from Betty. The blonde, of course, doesn’t think anything she’s saying is bad but it’s all enough to make Veronica’s blood boil--C _heryl doesn’t really like me doing that, Cheryl said no, I should get home before she chews me out again, I’m never gonna hear the end of it from her, she's just--difficult, sometimes, she’s protective._

Veronica had to bite her tongue more than once from making some kind of negative quip to Betty--but it all just pisses her off to no end because there’s being a loving partner, being a protective partner, and then _there’s Cheryl_ , who reminds her of her own father a little too much, who is 100% doing _something_ behind Betty’s back.

Who Veronica hates because knows Betty’s heart is in her hands and it’s just a matter of time before it ends up crushed.

-

Betty and Veronica are lounging around on Veronica’s couch with Lane draped over the two of them watching some true crime show when Betty lets out a whine as she looks at her phone for the 100th time, Veronica ignores the way her heart swells at it “What’s up, babe?” she had taken to using pet names because it really was just one of the many ways Veronica showered the girl in attention. 

She couldn’t help it.

The blonde huffs “I’m hungry--” she rolls her eyes “But Cheryl insisted we eat dinner together but she still hasn’t text she’s on her way home, it’s already 8 and I haven’t eaten since lunch”

Veronica swallows her anger and tries to just focus on the pout on Betty’s mouth-- _god_ she’s too fucking cute for her own good “text her, maybe she forgot and she’s already on her way home”

Betty looks hesitant and she drops eye contact with her “I don’t wanna annoy her”

“Baby, she’s your wife--text her before you die from starvation”

The blonde chuckles and it’s enough to alleviate Veronica’s anger, if for a second, “Shut up” she sends a text to Cheryl is mostly just to appease Veronica and to get her to unmute the show “Now, pay attention, I wanna see who murdered him”

“Oh, it was 100% the mother-in-law, she looks crazy”

It only takes two minutes for Betty’s phone to ping and Veronica knows as soon as she looks at Betty that it’s not good news. 

She carefully pushes Lane off her and wraps an arm around the blonde “I’m sorry, babe”

Betty sighs “Said something came up”

Veronica sighs and thinks for a minute before smiling brightly “What about me and you go out? Huh? Me, you and Ava’s?”

“I don’t know--”

“Oh come on!” she sits up straighter, taking the Betty’s hands in her own “We never eat there, lets eat there for once and relax and not eat all our food in the car” Veronica adopts a British accent “A _proper_ dinner date for a _proper_ lady” 

That gets a snort out of Betty who looks hesitant but still nods “okay”

-

They walk into the familiar, dimly lit place and Veronica quickly takes over, talking to the hostess, asking for a table for two, leaving Betty to look around the restaurant she could see--their were some couples tucked away in their booths, wrapped up in each other, some families with kids eating and laughing--all of it making Betty’s chest ache with want.

She so wished her life was like those--so deep in love with each other still, wrapped up in each other, or happy with a family, a family she so badly ached for some days, a family Cheryl just doesn’t want.

She can hear Veronica making polite conversation with the older man assisting her when she sees a familiar shade of red. She squints a little because it’s a little too dim when she sees her wife’s face quickly come into focus. She’s laughing and smiling and Betty’s heart cracks because she really can’t remember the last time her wife had that kind of smile on her face. 

She follows her wife’s hand to see it linked to someone else who was tucked away, just out of sight--but it was clear, it wasn’t one of Cheryl’s co-workers. Especially when Cheryl leans over and her face moves out of sight but--Betty’s stomach bottoms out--she knows what she’s doing. Doesn’t take a genius to figure it out.

And suddenly, all of those rumors, all of those _‘I’m coming home late_ ’ texts, all of the secret phone calls hit her all at once and, her once strong denial, gets trampled by what she sees in front of her. 

_Can’t argue with facts_ , the journalist side of her brain says, and for once she wishes it would just shut up.

“Betty?” Veronica places a gentle hand on her shoulder but it makes her jump “You okay?”

Betty says nothing--she’s not sure she can. Her heart is slowly breaking and she can’t do anything to stop it because she just can’t look away from it. Veronica must follow her line of vision though because she hears a soft _‘oh’._

Suddenly brown eyes are on her ( _her_ brown eyes, her wife’s brown eyes, the one’s she’s loved since she was 16 years old ) as Cheryl must feel two people staring at her and her already pale face, somehow, still loses color. She shoves whoever is in that booth with her even more out of sight, terror written across her features, and quickly stands up 

“Betty” 

And that’s all it took--her wife’s gorgeous voice saying her name for Betty to crack--she feels two, fat tears slip down her face and she just can’t help but turn on her heel and run out of that tiny restaurant with Veronica on her heels. 

She hears Cheryl call her name with so much urgency it almost makes her turn around but she steels herself on quickly piles into Veronica’s car, who peels out of the parking lot as quickly as she can.

-

The drive back to her house is quiet and full of tension. 

Veronica feels it heavy in her atmosphere, sees it on Betty’s face when she spares a look over at the blonde who can’t tear her eyes away from the window and Veronica’s heart just plain breaks at how Betty’s sniffles become more and more frequent. 

She was so confused at first as to why Betty seemed to be just staring at some couple and then she looked and--and she knew right away. Anger settled deep in her bones, she knew it was happening, hell, everyone in town knew what was happening but still, seeing it is different than thinking it was happening, _knowing_ it's happening.

Knowing it, _seeing_ it made Veronica want to rip Cheryl’s head off with her bare hands.

But then pain wrapped itself around Veronica’s heart for Betty, for her best friend, for the woman who loves so deeply and so beautifully, the woman who clearly just saw her life crash right in front of her. 

They pull to a red light, and Veronica takes the opportunity to properly look at her blonde best friend and, god, that pain squeezes her heart so tightly as she sees silent tears freely flowing down Betty’s face. It makes her own eyes water ever so slightly.

“Oh, Betts” she reaches over and grabs Betty’s hand, squeezing firmly “I’m so sorry” 

Betty shrugs, clearly at a loss for words, and all Veronica can do is squeeze her hand again, trying to convey all the love she has to give at the moment.

The light turns green and Veronica quickly starts driving again but never lets go of Betty’s hand, doesn’t even think about it.

-

They come to a stop in front of Betty’s house leaving the blonde to look around bewildered. Veronica just sighs “Go--get some clothes, whatever you need for work, some stuff for Lane--you two can stay with me for however long you need”

Betty opens her mouth to argue, talk about not wanted to take advantage of her friend like that but Veronica shakes her head before she can get a single syllable out “Go, hurry, so we can be out of here before she gets back”

And that’s all she needs to suck in a deep breath, get off the car and run inside to take whatever she needs. Because the thought of having to see Cheryl made her whole body shake--with anger, with terror, with hurt.

She knows, more than anything at that moment, that she’s not ready to see her wife.

Betty runs upstairs, taking the steps two at a time, yanks a duffel off the top of their closet and starts throwing all of her work clothes into the bag along with some sleeping clothes and underwear and bras. She rips apart her drawers, grabbing anything she thinks she might need.

She grabs her lesson plan book, her student’s tests, their papers and anything else she can think of for work. She walks downstairs, two bags hanging off her arms and grabs another one and throws in a few of Lane’s toys, grabs her bag of dog food, and stuffs her bed under her arm. 

(suddenly, really grateful that Veronica always insists on bringing Lane over so she doesn’t have to haul her dog in the car)

Betty stops at the front door and looks back, doing a mental check of everything and then does another one before she quickly places everything on the floor, and slides her wedding ring off her finger. And at that moment, she hesitates. 

She knows she could put everything back, pack a small bag and just go for the night, not let everything get out of hand and then she looks at the ring sitting in her palm. Looks at the date engraved on the inside, the promise it represented, the love, she thinks of the moment Cheryl slid it on her finger, how beautiful she looked, how _happy_ she was, how Cheryl promised forever, promised to always be there, never, never let Betty feel less than, and--Betty’s heart aches so harshly, she feels like it’s going to drop straight into her stomach--promised to be _faithful_.

She places it where she knows Cheryl always puts her keys, and then grabs everything again and heads out the door. 

-

Cheryl drives as fast as she can, drops Toni off at her apartment, and rushes to her house, praying that Betty is there, on their little couch just waiting for Cheryl to come home so they can talk it out like they always do. That Betty will still give her that chance to explain.

She pulls up to the house and sighs--Betty’s car is in the driveway which is a good sign so she quickly parks and runs up the their home. She pushes the door open and goes to set her keys down and-- _oh._

_Oh no._

She gently picks up Betty’s wedding ring, the one she set on the blonde’s finger less than two years ago and the redhead feels regret burning her chest, she feels like her heart is on fire, like the ring is going to burn straight through her hand-- _no, no,no._

With her wife’s ring still locked in her grip, she runs upstairs “Betty!” her eyes burn, her vision getting blurry “Betty, baby!” she throws open their closet and tears fall down her cheeks as she realizes most of Betty’s work clothes are gone, the little corner desk in their room that is always, _always_ covered in Betty’s school work has been cleaned off, drawers are almost completely stripped bare.

“No, no--” she runs back downstairs and sees that Lane’s bed is gone, her bag of food is gone, her toys are gone, it’s all gone “Oh, god, _please_ no” 

Cheryl collapses on her knees right as everything truly catches up with her, she doesn’t even notice the physical pain from her body hitting the hardwood as she crashes down under the regret, emotional pain and fear that courses through her veins. Her whole body hurts, like every emotion she has is coursing through her at 100 miles per hour. She feels like she can’t breathe as she looks around and notices small things, like Betty’s shoes, her coat, her favorite throw blanket she always used on the couch are all _gone_. 

Suddenly her decently sized home feels like the large, empty mansion she grew up in. Devoid of warmth, missing that homeiness, feeling like love didn’t exist there. Feeling so lonely that she would rather be dead then live in that house.

And it’s all because Betty’s gone--Cheryl’s heart aches in ways she didn’t think possible, somehow more painful than when she lost Jason.

_Betty’s gone._

-

The blonde all but collapses on Veronica’s couch, her bags still clutched tightly in her hands, her heart stuck in her throat and tears coating her face. Veronica moves softly around her, placing Lane’s bed down in the corner of the living room, setting up her food and water bowls in the kitchen, throwing some toys down but the dog is far more concerned about her owner who still just sits silently on the couch, eyes locked on nothing.

“Betts?” she sits down next to the blonde, trying to talk as softly as she can so she doesn’t startle her “Lemme take your bags, baby” Betty doesn’t respond but doesn’t fight either when Veronica unfurls her fists and starts to take things from her--Veronica silently notes Betty’s bare finger and just makes a promise to herself to be as strong as she can for her best friend.

The brunette continues to move around the house as softly as she can--sets up the guest room to be as roomy as possible, throwing Betty’s clothes in the drawers, hanging up her nicer dresses that Veronica knows she wears to work, lays out some of her toiletries but, even with all of that under her belt and some sweat coating her brow, when Veronica goes back to the living, Betty still hasn’t moved a muscle.

“Lane” Veronica pats her leg “C’mon, girly, let’s eat” she shakes the bag of food which takes the dog’s attention for a second but she quickly brushes Veronica off and lays her head down on Betty’s leg.

That small action causes Betty’s head to shake and her eyes to finally look around, she looks at Lane with misty eyes and scratches her behind her ear “Baby, let's go eat” her voice is so soft, Veronica has to strain to hear it but, in the moment, it’s something. Betty pushes herself off the couch and goes to Veronica’s side where she still stands, dog food in hand and Lane follows dutifully. Veronica pours the food and, with Betty at her side, the lab eats her food.

Together they stand there for 10 minutes or so with nothing but the sounds of Lane chewing her food filling the space, Veronica spares a glance at Betty to see her eyes locked on Lane but not looking at Lane--her eyes are spacy and there’s silent tears rolling down her cheeks. 

Veronica gently takes her hand and leads her to the couch letting the blonde plop down before sitting down herself, she squeezes Betty’s hand but gets no response. 

Lane trots over when she’s done and even though Veronica knows she should let her out into the backyard, just lets her crawl up on the couch and slot herself against Betty. A minute passes and Veronica can’t help but look over and take in both blondes sitting on her couch, locked together. 

She smiles sadly to herself--she so loved having them around, they always made her heart sing and her face hurt from smiling so brightly, but it absolutely breaks her heart how she got them both in her home. She would give up anything just to see Betty’s face break out into her warm smile, to hear her laugh, hell, just to hear her _talk_.

“I knew” 

Betty’s voice, though so soft, is so sudden, Veronica jumps. Her eyes snap to Betty who is still looking down at the floor, hands holding onto the longer parts of Lane’s fur, and still crying silently.

“I mean, I think everyone knew but _I knew_ ” Betty sucks in a shaky breath, her grip loosening “I-I tried so hard to push it away, you know? I was convinced I was just being crazy and Cheryl would never do that to me and that it was just jealous people, talking but I knew” 

Her voice cracks and Veronica’s hand shoots out and grabs the blonde’s hands right away, screw everything else in the world, in this moment, the only thing that matters is Betty.

“She stopped coming home early to see me and Lane, she started cancelling our dates, she threw herself into ‘work’ but I just ignored it all because I have loved--” she sucks in a deep breath “I loved her for--” 

Betty tries to finish her sentence, really she does but it gets managed to hell by ugly sobs clawing their way out of her throat and all she can do is collapse into Veronica’s open arms, gripping the back of the woman’s shirt so tightly she knows she’s ruining it but she just doesn’t care--she just needs something real to hold onto as everything slams into her all at once.

Veronica blinks back her tears as Betty falls apart in her arms, she so badly feels the urge to cry (empathetic to a fault is what her mom always told her) but this isn’t about her--this is about Betty. This is about the woman who just had to accept that her wife, the woman she’s loved since she was a teenager, is, in fact, cheating on her and has been for some time. 

Neither of them really know how much time passes with them just sitting on Veronica’s couch, Betty wrapped up in Veronica’s arms, Lane sandwiching herself behind Betty who cries out everything she has--could be ten minutes, could be an hour, all Veronica knows is she would hold her for as long as she needed.

-

“I know, I know” Veronica sighs “I am aware but there is just nothing to work around, sir, I am so sorry” there’s a beat of silence “Thank you, sir, I will see you on Monday”

Betty finally rips her eyes apart and looks around and slowly takes in Veronica’s living room with Lane’s stuff thrown about, it takes her a second and then-- _oh. right._

She forces herself into a sitting position, her muscles screaming at her for sleeping on a couch but she gladly takes that distraction of not having to think about Cheryl and complete breakdown last night. She takes in her surroundings to see Lane asleep on her bed but none of her bags are anywhere near her and Veronica is still out of her line of sight.

“Morning, sweets” she cranes her head to see Veronica walking out of the kitchen, still in her clothes from last night “How’d you sleep?”

“Rough” Betty rolls her shoulders “Feel like an old lady”

“Yeah, I wanted to move you but you had just crashed out and I didn’t wanna wake you” Betty closes her eyes briefly, trying to conjure anything from last night after completely just falling into Veronica’s arms but a lot of before that, and after that, blur together “You want some breakfast? I can make some mean waffles”

Her stomach growls without her permission and Veronica can’t help but chuckle at her “Yes, please” she looks around “Ronnie?”

“Yeah?”

“My stuff?”

“Oh, I put everything in the guest room--you’re all set up and your toothbrush and all that are in my bathroom, okay? Feel free to take a towel and take a shower if you want” Veronica brushes a kiss against her hairline and goes back to the kitchen leaving Betty with her thoughts.

Betty sighs and forces herself to stand up and walk to the guest room to see everything laid out, the blonde tries to remember when Veronica would have done all this but she was so zoned out, nothing comes to her. She worries about work for a second but thinks about the conversation she woke up to and just assumes Veronica was talking to Weatherbee--she really doesn’t have the energy to do much else but assume and hope Veronica took care of it all.

She finds her phone plugged in the corner of the room, resting on the nightstand and she quickly goes to it and checks her notifications--

**Juggie: 3 Missed Calls**

**Juggie: Where are you? Are you okay? You never call in.**

**Juggie: Betts, call me as soon as you can.**

**Juggie: Hope you’re okay.**

Betty makes a mental note to respond and make sure he’s okay with her being absent for a few days, he knows they both rely on each other a lot when it comes to the kids. She clicks on the next;

**Arch: 5 Missed Calls**

**Arch: Hey, Betts call me**

**Arch: Betts y is Cher blowing up Vals phone?**

**Arch: Betts, where r u? What happened?**

**Arch: I’m so sorry, betty, call me, please. Let me know you’re okay. Love you betty girl**

It is then, _very_ apparent word got around that clueless old Betty finally got the hint about her wife, and it makes Betty’s stomach churn--everyone now knows she wasn’t enough for her wife. Betty taps out a response, deletes it, writes another one and just exits out of Archie’s messages--she can’t face it right now. She sees Val’s name and quickly taps on it

**Val: 2 Missed Calls**

**Val: Betty, where are you? Your wife is being annoying.**

**Val: Betty, I’m sorry. Take your time, call us, just let us know you’re okay, I love you, Betty boop.**

Betty’s heart aches--she wonders what exactly Cheryl told her, what she sounded like, what was going on. She thinks about responding but, again, doesn’t. She moves to her other best friend and lets out a sigh

**Kev: 6 Missed Calls.**

**Kev: 23 Unread Messages**

Betty huffs--she doesn’t even want to know everything Kevin text her (he’s a notorious double texter) so she just opens the newest and her heart just hurts reading it.

**Kev: Betty baby, pls let me know ronnies got you. I love you, girly**

And then comes what Betty knew was coming; Cheryl. 

**Cherry <3: 45 Missed Calls.**

**Cherry <3: 34 Unread messages.**

Betty’s whole body aches to respond, aches to hear her voice explain it all away but Betty knows she can’t do that to herself, she knows she can’t talk to Cheryl right now, not in her state because she knows Cheryl, she knows herself and she knows just exactly where she will end up if she caves and talks to her wife. 

But she just can’t help herself from reading, at least one, and opens the newest one.

**Cherry <3: Betty, baby, please i love you so m uch, plese, please, come home. please.**

Immediately she deletes her and Cheryl’s entire text thread, blocks her number, locks her phone and throws it on the bed--she could do angry Cheryl, could do with mean messages about her leaving and who does she think she is but she can’t deal with broken Cheryl. 

Her whole chest burns are the thought of Cheryl broken and alone with no one by her side and then she feels the image of her wife leaning over in that dimly lit booth invade her mind and her stomach pinches with pain. She lets out a deep, slow breath--she needs a shower.

-

Cheryl feels the bed dip beside her but doesn’t react--she knows it’s not Betty, she knows her wife hasn’t come back because the perfume that invades her senses is all wrong and just aggravates her senses insteads of soothes her like Betty’s had for so long.

“Cher?” a soft hand touches her shoulder “Cheryl, c’mon, get up”

The redhead yanks her shoulder from under the soft touch, anger coiling tightly in her stomach “No--get away from me”

“You cannot waste away in this bed” 

“Leave me the fuck alone”

“Okay, no” Josie’s hand wraps around Cheryl’s arms tightly and flip her over “You aren’t going to revert back to old bitch Cheryl just because you fucked up--you’re gonna get up and fix this because Betty is too good for you to let go”

“Jos--” Cheryl sighs, angrily “You don’t get it! Betty deserves to leave me!”

“Cheryl, there’s no way you’ve done something that bad” Josie looks down at the redhead who, a second ago, was all righteous anger and, now, can’t even look at her “Cher?”

“I’ve been cheating on her her for the past 6 months with Toni”

There’s a beat of silence as the room sinks into silence--Cheryl knows that Josie was her friend first and they’ve been friends for years but Josie also loves Betty. She still remembers how happy Josie was that Cheryl asked her out, asked her to move in, asked her to marry her--Josie has always been, always will be, their biggest supporter.

She opens her mouth, only to shut it--she rises from the bed and covers her mouth with her hand. She walks around the room for a few seconds, pacing around, not looking at Cheryl. Finally, she sucks in a deep breath, holds it, and then lets it out; she looks at Cheryl and her heart aches at the disappointment clear in Josie's eyes “Cheryl, what the hell?”

Tears spring to her eyes, the redhead can’t even bear to look at her best friend “I know, I know” she whimpers out “I just--I just met her and it was just so--”

“So what?!” there was the anger, Cheryl thinks to herself, the anger that was wholly expected when it came to Josie “Was she so _fucking_ magnificent that you had to cheat on your wife?!”

“No!” she feels like she could vomit “She was just--she was new! It was exciting! She made me laugh and it was so just-- _simple_ ” Cheryl chokes back a sob as Josie stares at her with such disbelief that she probably thinks she’s having a nightmare, it makes Cheryl sick.

“Everything with Betty had gotten so--so _serious_ ” she hiccups “It was bills and marriage and the family talk and it was just so _permanent_ and _scary_ and Toni was just--nothing was attached to her. It was just Toni and me and nothing came with it”

Josie lets out a mocking laugh “Well, good fucking news-- _nothing_ is permanent, Cheryl. Not your sudden regret about the commitment you made, not your affair and not even your marriage” she sighs “and now it really just is you and _Toni_ ”

The way she says her name makes Cheryl whimper, she carries so much guilt about what she’s done to Betty but Toni--she can’t just erase what she feels for the girl.

“I don’t know what to do, Jos” Cheryl admits softly, tears rolling down her face “Betty caught me red-handed and she took everything--” she looks around at the room “She’s gone”

Josie sighs and plops down on the bed “Yeah, well, she deserves to be gone”

Cheryl looks down at her hands “I know”

A hand suddenly grips Cheryl’s tightly, she looks up to see Josie still looking at her with disappointment, some underlying anger but, still, with love “We'll figure it out, Cher. We always do”

“Thank you, Josie”

“Yeah, I hate you for making me help you figure this one out but I love you still, too” Josie sighs, pats Cheryl’s knee and looks around “You know where she went?”

“No” Cheryl shakes her head “I’ve called so many time but it started going straight to voicemail so I’m pretty sure she blocked me--could be anyone though, Archie and Val, Jughead, Kevin, _Veronica_ ” she can’t help but spit out the last name because as much as she knows she’s not in any place to judge anyone, she knows that the raven haired woman is infatuated with _her_ wife.

_The wife you cheated on_ , the little voice in her head says, mockingly and Cheryl just suppresses the thought.

“I can call”

Suddenly Cheryl’s head snaps up--oh yeah. She should probably tell her about that.

“Oh, yeah--um, about that”

Josie looks at her, skeptically “What?”

“I’m pretty sure she thinks it’s you I’m sleeping with”

“What?!” Josie jumps up again “Why?!”

“Rumor mill--everyone just assumed that it was you, Betty didn’t actually see Toni, either”

“Goddamn it, Cheryl”

-

Betty is lying on Veronica’s couch, eyes glued to the TV but not actually watching when her phone rings--she quickly looks over because, after a stern mass text from Veronica, everyone stopped bombarding her with questions. It’s barely gone off since the morning after the whole affair went down. 

She flips it around to see three messages from Josie, of all people. She stops herself from sliding it over and chews on her nail--what could Josie want? Supposedly, she’s having an affair with her wife, and even if she’s not, she’s Cheryl’s best friend.

Curiosity gets the best of the blonde though, because she quickly unlocks her phone;

**Josie: Hi, Betty, I know this is weird considering everything that happened (Cheryl filled me in) but I just wanted to check on you and see how you’re doing.**

**Josie: Also, I’m not the other woman, I swear**

**Josie: I don’t know if that was insensitive, i’m sorry, please text back when you can. I want to make sure you’re okay. Just for me, not Cheryl.**

Betty re-reads the messages at least 12 times before she starts typing out a response, she erases her first 4 before she settles on one and hits send. She places her phone down and sucks in a deep breath--she doesn’t know how she feels knowing it wasn’t Josie. On some level, it made sense to Betty that it would Josie; they’ve been friends for years, hooked up once in high school and, have always been very close.

But to know it was just--a stranger that has been sleeping with her wife. That makes Betty feel, somehow, worse than before. Like anyone could replace her in Cheryl’s life, anyone would do--didn’t have to special, or have a lifelong connection with, just some stranger that could warm the bed.

Betty wipes angrily at her face when she feels tears roll down them--she just wanted to stop crying.

-

Josie stares at her phone for a solid 15 minutes before it pings and, even then, she still jumps so high she could have hit her head on the ceiling. She scrambles to unlock the phone and swipes at Betty’s message

**Betts: I’m as okay as I can be right now. Staying with a friend for awhile. Lane’s okay. Thanks for telling me, Josie. Needed to know that.**

“Well?”

She looks up to see Cheryl practically frothing at the mouth for any kind of response from her wife. Josie just shrugs “Says she’s okay. She’s staying with an unnamed friend for an unspecified amount of time and that Lane’s okay”

Cheryl’s shoulders slump “that’s it?”

“Yeah” she spares a look down at her phone and stares at the second message from Betty.

**Betts: I’m at Veronica’s if you want to talk. This really is it, Jos. I’m done, I can’t take it anymore. This was too far and she knows it. I can’t go back.**

Josie sighs “that’s it”

-

“Betts?” Veronica peeks into the guest bedroom “Baby, dinner is ready”

“M’ not hungry, Ronnie” Betty mumbles out as she tugs the blanket over her head, burying herself even further into the bed.

Veronica sighs and pushes on “It’s been a week, Betty, you need to get some more food into your system before you pass out” she climbs onto the bed, tugs the end of the blanket up and shimmies in beside the blonde. She wraps her arms around Betty’s waist and squeezes softly “C’mon, Betty, please”

“I just--” Betty sighs “I’m not hungry” it was a partial truth--she was hungry, sure, after not eating any real food for the last week save some snacking but she also feels like anything she puts in her stomach will just come straight back up.

“How about some soup?” Veronica compromises “Something light and easy”

There’s a pause and Betty sends a silent ‘thank you’ to whoever to listening for sending her Veronica because the girl can read her like an open book, she turns over and nods “Okay”

Internally, Veronica is shrieking because that is the first time Betty will be leaving bed without pitching a fit since she started staying with her but she just smiles, kisses the blonde’s shoulder and helps ease her up from the bed. 

Together they have a small dinner of canned chicken noodle soup with some saltines and it doesn’t even begin to heal her broken heart or pick up the pieces of herself but, in the moment, it soothes her whole being and she manages to keep her food down.

-

The next week Betty goes back to work, bright and early, on Monday and as soon as she walks in the door, Jughead wraps her in a tight hug. Immediately, her eyes burn with tears because Jughead is a lot of things, but a hugger is not one of them.

“You okay?” he mumbles into her neck and she just nods, not trusting herself to speak. He holds her for a minute or two longer and then finally lets go, he looks her over and squeezes her hands “You got this, B” She just nods and wipes at her eyes before the tears can fall because she 100% doesn’t _got this_ but she just swallows that.

The rest of her day is-- _uneventful_. 

Which is the opposite of what she expected. She expected the whispers to ramp up, to sound like thunder in her ears but the usual whispers she would hear about her marriage have stopped altogether. It’s deadly silent whenever she walks into a room.

Of course, they stare, they look at her like she’s this fragile doll about to crumble into dust but she just holds her head high and refuses to make eye contact-- _she’s got this._

Veronica texts her over the course of the day, checking in without really saying she’s checking in--complaining about her kids, the lesson, Weatherbee, or just ranting about some mundane topic. It was an unexpected comfort of her day, knowing Veronica’s texts were sitting there for her to read, to distract, if she ever felt like she was gonna fall apart. 

By the end of the day she feels like maybe, just maybe, she’s actually got this.

-

Betty unblocks Cheryl’s number three weeks after she initially blocks it.

She stares at the phone number for a long while (14 minutes) with her anxiety ramped all the way up but she just lets out a deep, slow breath and types out her message.

**We need to talk about what we’re gonna do. Can you meet me at Pop’s tomorrow around noon?**

Another 15 minutes passes before she decides she really is overthinking this and just hits send. She then immediately throws her phone on the bed and runs to Veronica’s room, she throws open the door without knocking and just climbs straight into bed with the brunette.

Veronica, for her part, doesn’t even flinch. Just lifts up the covers and lets the blonde wrap herself around Veronica--it makes all kinds of butterflies release in her belly and her skin to grow hot but she ignores it as best she can which is a lot harder than it seems--

“I texted Cheryl”

Now it feels like someone poured ice water right on her head.

She puts down her book and looks down at the blonde, brows furrowed “Saying?”

“We need to talk” Betty just plays with the string of Veronica’s PJ top “About the house, the cars---whatever we do with what’s left of us”

A beat passes and then “What do you want to happen?”

Betty’s hand stills, drops the string and she just lets out a huff “I--Separation” 

“Separate or divorce?”

“Ron”

Veronica heeds the warning tone and just picks up the book she had been reading“whatever you want, I got you”

Betty nods gratefully because if she knows anything at this point it’s that Veronica is right there and has her like no one else “I know”

-

“Hey” Cheryl looks up to see her wife standing next to the booth and her heart nearly stops right there in her chest--her whole chest ached at being away from this woman and now she’s right here and it's like her heart doesn’t know how to handle seeing her again.

“Hey” she goes to get up but Betty shakes her head and sits down, quickly, her hands go straight to her lap as to avoid any contact and Cheryl very quickly has to remind herself that her actions put them here, not Betty’s “Y-You wanted to talk?”

“Yes” the blonde nods “I wanted to talk about how this will all be going”

“I--what do you mean?”

“The house, the cars--I know the cars are in your name but the house--” 

Tears sting Cheryl’s eyes “Wait, Betty--” the blonde looks at her “What?”

“Cheryl, this was not an I’m coming home talk” Betty’s whole body tenses “this was the ‘separation’ talk”

Betty might as well have reached out and punched Cheryl square in the chest with how that one sentence makes her lose her breath, probably would hurt less too “Oh, baby, please no”

The teary words tug at Betty’s heart like nothing else but she stands firm “You’re more than welcome to keep the house, we can change the name on the title of the bug since that’s the one I pay for and--”

“Betts, please” tears are freely flowing down Cheryl’s face but the blonde just keeps looking down at her hands.

“But Lane’s mine. I always was more primary for her and she’s already with me so it would just be easier”

“Ba--”

“There are still some things I would love to grab from the house--” Betty puts her hands on the table and Cheryl snatches up the opportunity to grab the blonde’s hands and that makes her finally, _finally_ lock eyes with her and _oh_.

Oh god, Betty’s heart sobbed and pounded it’s fists against her ribcage at the sight of the broken redhead.

“Betty, baby, please” Cheryl is begging--she doesn’t ever beg “I just want you home. Please, you and Lane and we will fix this. _I_ will fix this”

And, wow, she could have caved in that moment. With the tears and the pleas and the plain heartbreak written in Cheryl’s features, she almost lets all of her defenses down and just throws herself at Cheryl--and then she thinks of that woman.

The woman who doesn’t even have a name in Betty’s head, doesn’t have a face, a personality, anything. This stranger who just swiped her wife right from under her leaving her cold and aching.

Betty rips her hands from Cheryl’s, the hurt coming back in full force and choking her--she swallows roughly, so badly not wanting to cry in front of her, not wanting to show that weakness “You’re right--separation isn’t right” Cheryl allows hope to bloom in her chest for just a second and then “We need a divorce because I’m never going to be able to unsee what you did”

And then a darkness smothers out the hope and Betty walks out of Pop’s leaving Cheryl to cry in the booth, alone.

-

Betty goes home and runs straight into Veronica’s room, Lane on her heels, and dives under the covers. She smothers her face against the brunette’s side and, finally, allows her tears to freely flow under the safe embrace from her best friend, where she knows she can truly fall apart.

Veronica, for her part, drops her phone and immediately wraps herself protectively around Betty, Lane snuggling against the blonde’s back--she doesn’t flinch at the wetness forming on her shirt, just shushes her and rocks her, humming to fill the gaps of what she just doesn’t know what to say.

Twenty minutes must have passed before she feels Betty’s finally become relaxed in her arms, her grip on Veronica’s shirt loosen and her breathing even out--Veronica just lets out a deep breath and kisses the crown on her head, silently promising to keep doing as best she can to protect the woman she loves.

-

Cheryl goes home but can’t get out of the car.

She looks up at the home she and Betty had bought together--the home they painted, the home they fixed, the home filled with so much hope, love and broken promises. Her eyes burn for the 100th time that day as she fights back tears--she’s so tired of crying, of letting sobs rip from her.

Her fingers tighten around the wheel and every bone in her body aches--aches to fix what she broke, aches to be with her wife again, aches to go back to what they had once upon a time. She blinks and two, fat, tears roll down her face and more just follow after as they drip off her face or roll down her neck.

“Why?” she asks herself “Why did you have to do this?”

Her chest heaves and her body shakes as she comes undone, truly, unravels. She fights for breath but can’t seem to find it--she slams her hands against the wheel, against herself, anything to feel something other than the devastation she feels swallowing her whole.

_‘Always messing up what you have--always has to go and just fuck everything up’_

Her thoughts bang around her head, her temples pound and her eyes screw shut--why did she do this? Why would she ever even dream about doing this to Betty? The woman who always, _always_ , stood by her.

And Toni--she sucks in a shuddering breath--why does she always have to drag down perfectly good people with her?

She doesn’t even her the knock on her car window over her own sobs, doesn’t really register the door opening, barely even blinks at Josie’s arms wrapping around her, just lets everything--her brokeness, her guilt, her regret, her anger just finally wash over her and doesn’t fight it.

She just falls apart.

-

“So I just said I wanted a divorce” Betty whispers out, her voice hoarse from crying “I just--it just came out of my mouth without really thinking but--” she spares a look at Veronica who just nods at her to continue with a soft look of encouragement “It felt right” a beat “It felt like what I should have said”

“I’m proud of you” Veronica says softly, stroking her back “I’m so proud of you”

Betty lays her head back down on Veronica’s stomach, her whole body exhausted but feels so relaxed with the brunette at her side “Thank you, Ronnie”

“Always, Betty”

-

A month officially passes since Betty has seen her wife lock lips with another, a month since Betty had thought she never would really recover from that kind of heartbreak but, as she sits on her and Veronica’s couch, surrounded by her friends, she feels like she can breath and allow herself to smile.

It also marks the date that Betty contacted a divorce lawyer and started the paperwork to really, really, end her marriage.

“Betts?” she looks over at Kevin who looks at her with concern “You okay?”

“Yeah” she smiles, brightening her whole face, she looks over at everyone--Archie, Vall, Jughead, _Veronica_ , all of them and just keeps smiling softly “Yeah, I’m okay”

And maybe that would have been a lie, a month ago, even a week ago it might have been one but right now, in this moment--it’s not.

-

Cheryl gets the paperwork served to her, at their home of all places, three days later.

Josie really steps in and takes care of it all, signs off and what she can with Cheryl’s permission (which isn't much being Cheryl almost refuses to speak to the lawyer whenever they meet), talks to the lawyer mostly and screens any, and all, calls from one Toni Topaz.

No use in breaking Cheryl’s heart twice.

“Jos?”

The woman looks up at her best friend and tries to not look surprised--the amount of time that Cheryl’s spoken has really dwindled since she found her having a breakdown in her driveway “Yeah?”

“Do you think she’ll ever forgive me?”

Josie pauses, considers her answers and, finally, nods “I do” a beat “One day, with time and separate lives--she will”

“Do you think she’ll ever love me again?”

This time Josie just sighs “I can’t answer that one, baby”

Cheryl simply nods and goes back to not talking--Josie sucks in a breath and picks up her phone, enough is enough, she decides. 

-

Betty is sitting at her desk, grading papers, when someone knocks on the door frame--she looks up to see a woman she doesn’t recognize. Her brows furrow, she spares a quick glance to Jughead who shakes his head and Betty just cocks her head and stands up “Hi, can I help you?”

The woman looks hesitant but just nods and walks up to her desk “I think so” she sighs “you’re Elizabeth Cooper-Blossom?”

Betty flinches, just the tiniest bit at that but just nods “Betty Cooper is just fine”

“Right, well--” the woman sticks her hand out “My name is Toni and I was the one Cheryl was having an affair with”

And now, Betty can’t really say what happened after that, just that she blacked out for maybe 30 seconds max, and when she really came to--Toni was on the ground, groaning in pain.

“Oh fuck”

-

“I’m-uh, sorry about that” Betty hands the woman an ice pack “I didn’t mean to” it sounds like a shit excuse but what else is there to say?

“Nah, I get it--I’m the other woman”

Betty’s arms crossover her chest “I--what do you want from me?”

Toni stands up and sighs “Just to talk--you didn’t know I existed and I barely knew anything of you but we’re both humans who fell for the same woman and lived different lives from each other”

“Except I was married to her” the words are spit out and angry but Toni just nods, a grimace on her face. 

“Yeah, except that” she spares a look to Jughead who continues to sit down at his desk, his eyes trained on her “Can we talk alone?”

Betty looks back at Jughead and nods “Yeah” he looks like he wants to argue but she just gives him a firm stare and he sighs 

“I’ll be in the hallway, shout if you need me”

He leaves, closing the door behind him, and the air quickly grows tense and awkward. Betty goes back to her desk and flops down on her chair, a huge breath leaving her “Yeah, I feel that” Toni sits on the top of her student's desk.

They look at each other for a few long moments--both taking each other in, comparing themselves, judging each other.

“What do you want to talk about?”

Toni shrugs “Honestly? I don’t know” she lets out an awkward laugh “Just--Cheryl’s been ignoring my calls for nearly a month and a half--knew you knew now so I guess I just might has well come to the source”

“How’d you know where I worked?”

“Someone tipped me off”

Betty wants to ask who but very quickly, Josie’s name pops in her head and she knows--Josie figured something had to happen to get them out of the standstill they all found themselves at.

A beat passes and then “How long?”

“Six months” 

The blonde feels the air leave her, she sucks in a deep breath and just nods “Wow” she laughs, humorlessly “ _Wow_ ”

Toni raises an eyebrow “You okay?”

“No, actually, I’m not” Betty buries her face in her hands for a minute and then sighs and looks back at the woman “I asked Cheryl if we could try for kids about 7, almost 8 months ago” Toni doesn’t respond “Always wanted to be a mom but wow, it started a fight and she went out and--well, if the math is right then” Betty sighs “Never would have asked if I knew this was gonna happen”

Toni sighs “I didn’t know you existed until it was too late”

“Too late for what?!” Betty feels her anger rise, suddenly “You could have stopped!”

“I was already in love with her!” the woman sighs “I was already so in love and I just thought if I could hold on long enough--she would leave you for me”

Betty tries to not feel smug about it--about how it was Betty who left, it was Betty who filed for divorce and it was Cheryl who wanted to work it out--she tries but fails.

“Yeah, well, how’d that work out?”

“Not too good”

They lapse into silence again and then Betty just shakes her head “Is they any reason you needed to come to me?”

“I--I don’t know” Toni admits “I just wanted to see you, meet you, finally put a name to the face, I guess” she shrugs “I just needed you know I never wanted to hurt you, that was never my intention going in--I didn’t know you existed going in. I just fell for her”

Betty nods “Yeah, if I understand anything, I understand that”

“But I get it if you still hate me. I’m the bad guy, I’m the reason you’re not with her right now and, for that, I”m sorry”

“Sorry I’m not with her or sorry I’m not with her and she’s still not with you?”

“I don’t know”

The blonde sighs “You’re not the bad guy--Cheryl is. She knew she was married when she met you, she’s the one who lied to me and she’s the one who kept this whole thing going when neither of us knew” a moment passes “I guess if you’re looking for forgiveness or whatever, you have it. I forgive you for what you did when you didn’t know and when you did know, for it all, I forgive you but that doesn’t mean I still don’t absolutely hate you in this moment”

The brunette laughs, lightly “I understand that” she hops off the desk and nods “You give Cheryl my best? I think--I think it’s all time we went our separate ways”

Betty sees the heartbreak written on her face, sees the pain, the anger, the regret and she knows all it mirrors her own so she just nods “Me too”

-

When she gets home that night Betty falls onto the couch and softly strokes Lane’s fur as she lets all the tension from her day leech out of her muscles. She looks around the home she’s shared with Veronica for the past month and her heart can’t help but swell--she knows that everything in her is too confused to really do anything but, in that moment, she knows, she loves Veronica so much more than she really thought possible.

She thinks back to how this woman just cared for her, and loved her, so deeply and never batted an eye when Betty was crying about another woman.

Never made a move when she was a vulnerable mess, never took advantage of what was placed in front of her.

Just loved her through it.

And while Betty mourned her life, she was building a new one without really knowing it. Veronica’s given her the love she’s craved her whole life--unconditional, unfailing, constant, love and with that, they really began building a new way with each other.

She feels like someone finally opened her eyes and allowed her to shake off what she’s been carrying--her doubt, her self-loathing, her hesitance. All of it, she just shakes off and finally knows what she has to do.

-

Betty, never in a thousand years, did she think she would find herself here. Standing on her own front porch, knocking on the door. She steps back and when the door flings open to show Josie, she doesn’t flinch just sighs “Can I see her?”

She’s led to her own couch and looks around at how the house is still basically the same from what it was almost two months ago and, yet, it feels like a lifetime ago since she’s stepped into this house with her own broken heart in her hand.

“Betty?”

She looks up to see Cheryl standing in the doorway and her heart pangs just the slightest at her tear streaked face but she just nods “Hi, Cheryl”

“What, um--” she sits on the couch “What are you doing here?”

“I talked to Toni” Betty sees the surprise cross her face “she came to see me at the school”

“I--I’m so sorry, I will try to talk to her, tell her not to--”

“Cheryl, stop” Betty sighs “It’s okay, I needed to talk to her, I needed to see her”

“Why?”

“I still don’t know, actually” the blonde admits “But I just know I needed to”

A beat passes “Betty, I--I’m so sorry”

“I know, Cher” and then Betty summons up all her courage, all her strength and everything else she has and stands up, sits down next to Cheryl and grabs her hands and locks eyes with her “I know you’re sorry, Cheryl and I--I don’t forgive you right now, it’s still a little too raw but I know I will” she squeezes the woman’s hands “I know I will when all is said and done”

Tears slip down Cheryl’s face “Meaning the divorce?”

“We can’t work around this one” Betty sighs “Parts of me wishes we could but we just can’t, this one’s too big” Cheryl just nods “I wish we had a different ending, Cher, I really do”

“Me too, Betts” Cheryl wipes at her face “I’m sorry for stalling the d--” the word sticks to Cheryl’s tongue so she just sighs “ _Process_ but I just--I needed more time”

“I know” the blonde looks around “But I think maybe we were over for longer than we would both like to admit” 

“Yeah, maybe”

Betty then really summons up all the strength and love Veronica had been giving her and cups the redhead’s face and kisses the corner of her mouth, softly “I love you still, I always will--you were my first everything and you will always have the spot in my heart” Betty feels her own eyes well up and allows them to flow down her face “But this is our ending. We have to let it end”

Cheryl can’t help but throw herself right into Betty’s arms and bury her face in the blonde’s neck “I love you, I love you, I love you” she sobs over and over and Betty just holds her tight “I’m so sorry”

“I know” she pets the red hair she had loved so much “I know”

They pull back from each other “Take care of yourself, Cheryl. Us not being together doesn’t change the fact that you are still worthy of love, you are still amazing and beautiful--you still deserve love and happiness”

“I will, I promise” Betty stands up and is finally ready to walk away from all of it but Cheryl’s voice stops her-- “Betty?”

She turns around “Yeah?”

“Thank you for it all”

Maybe she’s just referring to the visit or their marriage or their whole relationship from the moment they met, she doesn’t really know but Betty nods, still and says “Thank you too”

-

The divorce moves a little more easier after that--Betty allows Cheryl to keep the house, she doesn’t think she could ever really live there anymore, they split the cars and Cheryl doesn’t make a fuss about Lane living with Betty. 

They split everything as evenly as they can--all in all, it takes 3 months but 3 months later, Betty walks out of the courthouse with one less last name.

After she and Veronica go to Pop’s, still in dress suits and tight skirts that make it hard to walk but they laugh, they laugh till their sides hurt and smiles to their faces ache and just are, finally, just there, together. 

And as they sit in the booth, laughing and really letting go of it all, they lock eyes with each other, over their milkshakes and they know--they’ve got their whole life in front of them, the sweetest time together and each other’s love.

And that’s all they really need.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> What'd you think? I hope it was okay, this little monster of mine took a very long time, a whole lot of love and, in the end, Im actually pretty proud of it. please, comment, let me know what you think!


End file.
